Sampaada, who made her debut with a key role in Nikhil Kumar’s Rider, is steadily carving a niche for herself in Kannada cinema. “I feel like I’m just getting started,” shares Sampaada, who starred as the heroine in Benki and is currently part of Karavali, opposite Prajwal Devaraj and under Gurudatha Ganiga’s direction.
Her excitement is evident as she talks about her next big project, Ekka, a film starring Yuva Rajkumar and directed by Rohit Padaki. “2024 may have been slow for me, but it’s been a good year,” she says. “I’ve bagged two solid projects, and that’s all I need to keep moving forward. Ekka is my fourth film, and I’m very choosy about the roles I take on. This one has so much to offer.”
Sampaada will play one of the female leads in the film, produced by PRK Productions, Jayanna Films, and KRG Studios. She joins the Ekka team for the muhurat today and will begin shooting her portions next month. “I’m excited to share the screen with Yuva Rajkumar. It was a great experience interacting with the team. Since the film has two heroines, there was some contemplation about my role, but I’m really happy with what I’ve got to play.”
Alongside Sampaada, the film also stars Atul Kulkarni as part of the principal cast. With music by Charan Raj, cinematography by Satya Hegde, and editing by Deepu S Kumar, the film’s makers are aiming for a mid-2025 release, with shooting starting today.